


"Don't Move"

by sugarandspace



Series: Whumptober 2019 [12]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Potions Accident, Tentacles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-13
Updated: 2019-10-13
Packaged: 2020-12-14 11:34:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21015098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarandspace/pseuds/sugarandspace
Summary: An accident with a potion accidentally gives Alec tentacles, and Alec and Magnus have to figure out if they are hostile or not.





	"Don't Move"

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lynne_monstr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lynne_monstr/gifts).

> Okay this is pretty far from whump, but I had this idea and wanted to write it. Partly inspired by Lynne's tentacletober, and especially the idea of sentient tentacles!

Magnus looked at his boyfriend who was standing in the living room, his t-shirt torn and an expression of pure fear on his face. It was an unusual emotion on the Shadowhunter’s face, and Magnus felt terrible for being a part of the reason for it.

“Alexander-” he started and took a step closer but it was mirrored by Alec who took a frantic step back, the new magical appendages on his back moving around restlessly.

“Don’t move,” Alec said, his tone scared. “Don’t come closer.”

“I want to help,” Magnus said. “Let me help you.”

He wasn’t entirely sure how he could help, but he knew that he needed to do something, even if it was just to keep Alec calm until the potion wore off.

Magnus never should have left a potion in the living room.

It was a delicate potion that needed to brew in the sunlight, and Magnus had set the bowl on the coffee table. Alec had been sitting on the couch with some Institute reports, and Magnus had warned him not to touch it. He hadn’t, however, taken Chairman Meow into consideration.

As it happened, the cat had jumped into the table and the bowl had fallen. The cat had been lucky and stayed dry, but poor Alec’s feet had gotten a bowl full of unfinished potion to them. Magnus had heard the swearing and had arrived in the room just in time to see midnight blue tentacles bursting from Alec’s back. It was not the intended use for the potion, but in its unfinished state the results had been unexpected. That’s why Magnus wasn’t sure how they could fix it, or if there even was any other option than waiting for the potion to wear off.

“No!” Alec said firmly as Magnus took another step forward. “I can’t control them, what if they hurt you?”

“I don’t think they will,” Magnus said, but he couldn’t be sure. The tentacles were moving restlessly, probably reacting to Alec’s own emotions. They weren’t doing anything to harm Alec, and the only damage they’d done so far was the vase that had fallen from one of the side tables. Magnus believed that they wouldn’t hurt him, and if they would, he hoped he could do something to protect himself from the attack. 

He had to try, he couldn’t let Alec suffer alone.

“Alec I’m going to come closer, okay?” He said but didn’t move yet. He wanted Alec and the tentacles to know that he was going to do before he acted. “I’m going to try, and if the tentacles don’t let me come near you I’m not going to come further. Is that okay?”

Alec contemplated Magnus’ words for a moment before he nodded. He looked hesitant as Magnus started walking closer, his steps slow and his hands visible in front of him. He didn’t know how much the tentacles understood, but he wasn’t going to take a risk and make them feel cornered.

Alec looked skittish, like he was waiting for an attack and knowing that there was nothing he could do if one were to happen. The tentacles seemed calmer, they kept up with their movement but it was slower now, like they too were curious to see where the situation would go.

When there were only a couple feet between them, Magnus reached one of his hands closer to Alec. His movement was slow, and he didn’t shy away when one of the tentacles started moving closer to it.

“Magnus,” Alec said warily when it wrapped around Magnus’ wrist, the texture of it smooth and warm. It snaked its way up until the tip was at Magnus’ elbow, and then it tugged him closer.

“It’s okay,” Magnus said. He stayed alert, ready to act if something were to go wrong, but he allowed the pull. Somehow he felt like the tentacles would have already attacked if they were to do so.

Magnus moved his eyes temporarily away from the tentacle to look at Alec. Magnus gave him a small smile and then his focus was shifted elsewhere when he noticed another tentacle making its way to him. It touched Magnus on the face, just the tip of it moving down Magnus’ jawline. Alec reached up to push it away, but Magnus entwined their fingers before he could do so.

“It’s okay,” he repeated. “I think they’re getting to know me.”

The touch of the tentacle was gentle, and soon another joined the two already touching Magnus. This one slid around his waist, not unlike Alec's arm did when they sat together on the couch watching television. 

“How do they feel to you?” Magnus asked. He felt like he could trust the tentacles more now, so he shifted his eyes up to Alec again. Alec still looked a bit worried, but no longer afraid. “Does your back hurt?”

“No,” Alec said and stopped to consider his next words. “It’s definitely a weird feeling, but it doesn’t hurt. I can feel what the tentacles feel, like the silk of your shirt and the stubble on your face, but it has a weird edge to it because it’s hard to pinpoint where the sensation is coming from. It’s hard to understand and even harder to explain.”

“Well the good thing is that they don’t seem to be hostile,” Magnus said. His words were followed by a stray tentacle booping his nose, and it made Magnus laugh a little. Even Alec seemed relieved. “I think it’s probably wisest to wait for the potion to wear off, I have no idea how I could reverse this spell and I could end up doing more damage than good. It shouldn’t take more than a day, two max.”

Alec nodded as he followed the movement of the tentacles, every one of them now touching Magnus somehow - caressing his back, holding his hand, tracing patterns along his skin. It all seemed almost loving.

“They seem to like you,” Alec commented. 

“How could they not?” Magnus joked and the tension from earlier started to feel like a distant memory. 

“I guess you’re right,” Alec said, his tone equally teasing. “Should have known that there’s not a part of me, magical or not, that doesn’t love you.”

Magnus replied to the sweet words with a smile before he dipped down to place a kiss to the tentacle that went from over his shoulder to the back of his head, no doubt messing his hair but also feeling so good Magnus didn’t care. After that, he moved closer and reached to leave a kiss on Alec’s lips.

“I love you too.”

Maybe the potion did have some good results as well, Magnus though as he was being held in the loving embrace. Alec’s condition would keep him in the flat for at least a day, and Magnus couldn’t wait to get to know the tentacles better.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
